Welcome Muskegon Bike Time: Community and city gear up for this week's festival crowds

MUSKEGON, MI – Community leaders, public safety officials and the general public faced the first Muskegon Bike Time seven years ago with a bit of concern and trepidation.

There was the negative stereotype of opening the town up to throngs of bikers. Seven years later, the community welcomes the estimated 35,000 motorcycles and nearly 100,000 visitors the motorcycle festival attracts. Muskegon Bike Time, which runs Thursday, July 18 through Sunday, July 21, has become an iconic Muskegon event.

“I think this has become a great event for Muskegon that offers something different from our music festivals,” said Cathy Burbaker-Clarke, planning and economic development director for the city of Muskegon, which works to promote and accommodate a number of festivals in its downtown area.

The Community Foundation for Muskegon County's Frauenthal Theater marquee is welcoming the Muskegon Bike Time crowds in downtown Muskegon.Dave Alexander | Muskegon Chronicle

”It is a good opportunity to showcase our city, and it is one more event we offer,” Brubaker-Clarke said of an event that draws the most people from outside of West Michigan. “We are a diverse community and we provide diverse opportunities for everyone.”

But turning West Western Avenue from Seventh to Terrace streets into the Lakeshore’s version of New Orleans’ famed Bourbon Street is a logistical trick that city departments, the national presenters and local organizers of Bike Time have perfected.

“The event has been very orderly,” Muskegon Public Safety Director Jeff Lewis said of bringing that many people into the heart of downtown Muskegon for Bike Time. “It’s a great crowd … very social and having fun checking out the bikes.”

Motorcyclists who seem to come from every corner of the United States to attend Muskegon Bike Time are asked to operate safely and with awareness, Lewis said. Muskegon police officers will be issuing violations for excessive exhaust noise, reckless and unsafe driving, and those who are stopped by police need to have a motorcycle endorsement on their driver’s licenses if they are operating a bike or be ticketed, Lewis said.

“We recommend wearing helmets but it is not the law,” Lewis said of Michigan's elimination its former mandatory helmet law. “But we recommend helmets for safety.”

Muskegon Bike Time has plenty of alcohol involved in the festivities. The main center of the event is Steel Horse Alley, which is West Western Avenue blocked off for motorcycles and pedestrians only. There are three festival beer and entertainment tents along West Western Avenue and five downtown drinking establishments with temporary outdoor licenses for the weekend, including Club Envy, Tipsy Toad, Mike’s Inn, Racquet’s and the Holiday Inn Muskegon Harbor, city officials said.

“We just want to remind those operating a motorcycle not to drive when intoxicated,” Lewis said. “That was not an issue last year.”

For the thousands of people in the downtown, Muskegon police made only 10 arrests in 2012 and had less than 20 complaints, Lewis said. The arrests were mainly for public intoxication, trespassing and disorderly conduct. There were no serious injuries or accidents associated with last year’s event, he said.

“We receive a lot of positive comments from those attending the event,” said Muskegon Police Captain Leah Fenwick, who heads up the department’s patrols, which will have a dozen officers in the downtown area on foot and bicycles for the event. “It is an event that we have had everyone safe but still having fun.”

Muskegon Department of Public Works staff are set to begin closing down the side streets north and south of West Western Avenue on Wednesday and the entire downtown main street beginning early Thursday morning. The street closures will continue through late Sunday with all roads being open by Monday morning, Fenwick said.

The city will keep traffic moving on Seventh Street, Terrace Street, Clay Avenue and Shoreline Drive for vendors and safety vehicles to have access to festival locations. At Terrace and West Western, the city will have crossing guards to help the Iron Horse Alley pedestrians to safely cross Terrace to get to the festival events at Hot Rod Harley-Davidson, Lewis said.

The side streets north and south of West Western Avenue will not be allowed to be parking lots for either vehicles or motorcycles. Motorcycles can park along West Western Avenue. A public parking lot for vehicles can be found on Shoreline Drive at the Mart Dock.

“The no parking zones on those side streets will be enforced for vehicles and motorcycles,” Lewis said of needing to maintain access to West Western Avenue. “They will be subject to ticketing and towing.”

Those east of Muskegon should be aware of the Sunday Muskegon County Patriot Run, formerly the Mayor’s Run. The hour and a half motorcycle tour route beginning at Hot Rod Harley-Davidson on Terrace Street will include Apple Avenue east to Ravenna, Ellis and Sternberg roads west to Norton Shores and Seaway Drive back into downtown Muskegon.

The Patriot Run will visit a number of military veteran organizations. It begins at 10:30 a.m.

“I think we have learned how to handle Bike Time,” Burbaker-Clarke said. “We have had no major issue. Originally people were concerned, but the crowds have been well behaved and safe.”